


Sleepless Nights

by Lazynoodle



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio), Doctor Who (TV Movie 1996), Doctor Who: Eighth Doctor Adventures - Various Authors
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 09:05:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14638578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lazynoodle/pseuds/Lazynoodle
Summary: Doctor is a Time Lord so he doesn't need much sleep, yet he still looks more tired every day...





	Sleepless Nights

**Author's Note:**

> I'm also on Tumblr: https://lazynoodlepuff.tumblr.com/

You didn’t know how long you have been traveling with the Doctor, but it seemed like a really long time. You couldn’t say when your relationship changed from a mere companionship to something more intimate. He was like no one you ever met before.  Gentle, caring, open and distant at the same time. Like an old friend, but somehow still new. Sometimes optimistic and somehow romantic in his Victorian-like clothes, but other times melancholic and absent, looking in the distance at something only he could see.

And somehow he could understand you like no one else. When he was looking at you, you could see in his smile that he was glad to have you by his side. Like you were someone he wished to stay forever with.

One night, when you were about to fell asleep, he knocked on the door to your room. You sat on your bed, switching on the night lamp, when he sneaked in with a soft apologetic smile.

“Yes, Doctor?” you asked trying to get rid of sleepiness and hide a yawn.

“I’m sorry to bother you this late but I thought…” he started somehow shyly and hesitated for a while. “Well, as a Time Lord I don’t need as much sleep as you do and I thought - maybe instead of sitting there all alone I could sit here with you. If you don’t mind of course.”

“While I’ll be sleeping? That’s sounds a bit creepy” you replied raising you eyebrows slightly surprised. But you couldn’t help a smile. You didn’t mind at all.

“Oh, I didn’t mean it like this...” he stopped when he realized that you were mocking him. Doctor did his best to hide his relief that you didn’t throw him out of the room.

You chuckled seeing his reaction and smiled warmly to him.

“I don’t even mind the light on if you need it. Nothing can stop me from sleeping” you joked waving at him to stop standing in the doorway and sit down.

And from this night on, you spent every night together. You were lying in  bed and the Doctor was sitting next to you, sometimes reading a book, sometimes just wandering in his thoughts. One night you asked him to move from a chair to sitting on a bed because it was wide and more comfortable and he gladly joined you.

You really loved these nights. There was something special about them. Surrounded by darkness, in the dim light of the night lamp, you were sitting in silence. And it was the most pleasant silence you ever shared. Sometimes you were shifting closer to the Doctor wanting to feel his warmth, and sometimes hewas gently stroking your hair. Neither of you needed to talk about it. You were just enjoying each other’s presence.

But when the weeks were passing by you noticed that the Doctor seemed to be more and more tired. Sometimes you were waking up inthe middle of the night and you never saw him sleeping. But there was something more – he was losing himself in his thoughts more often than usual, as if he was troubled by something you didn’t know about.  And you were worried about him.

When Doctor came this night you decided to have a talk with him. You sat opposite to him but didn’t know how to start. Your mind went blank.

“You wanted to talk about something?” Doctor asked softly, guessing your intentions.

“Yeah” you half-sighed relaxing. Maybe the best way was just talking. He was your Doctor after all. “I’m worried about you, Doctor.”

“Worried about me?” You couldn’t say if he was more surprised or disbelieving that you really meant that.

“Yes. You said that you don’t have to sleep much, but you look more and more tired every day. And more.. sad? I’m not sure but something’s bothering you.” Doctor wanted to saysomething, but you didn’t let him. “Doctor, I’m worried. And I want to help because I care about you, you know?”

You finished not sure if you said too much. You were looking into his eyes, much older and experienced than yours, when he was considering something. Then the Doctor sighed and leaned his head against the wall.

“It’s just…” Doctor moved his hands in the air like he was trying to describe some abstract concept. You waited for him to gather his thoughts. And then he continued.

“I have this feeling… Something like foreboding, that something horrible is going to happen. More horrible than anything I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen much. More dreadful than I can imagine. And there’s no escape from it.” Doctor paused frowning, looking inside himself to describe it the best he could. “It’s overwhelming. Like the whole universe, whole time and space, was wrapping around us to push us into the deepest and darkest nightmare, like… I don’t know.”

Doctor went quiet and looked back at you, but you weren’t sure if he was really seeing you. Whatever he was foreboding it had to be terrible, you had no doubts. And you also knew that because he could do nothing about it, he felt even worse.

“Doctor, I really don’t know what to tell you” you said touching his arm. He looked like he just woke up.

“There’s nothing to be said that might change anything.” He gave you a sad smile when you sat next to him. He took your hand in his. “It’s the worst at nights when I’m alone in the darkness. So in a way… You’re helping me a lot. Keeping me away from bad thoughts.”

You shifted to his side laying your head on his shoulder. The Doctor was gently playing with your fingers and you were thinking. About him, you, this terrible thing in the future, these precious moments and all that the Doctor meant to you.

“Doctor, you know that I won’t leave you no matter what?” you said, your eyes meeting his. These beautiful, sad, but somehow still not hopeless eyes.

The Doctor wrapped his arm around you pulling you closer and almost whispered:

“And I don’t want you to go. Ever”

 


End file.
